Count your blessings

Although life apparently is a series of disappointments, there are always things to be thankful for. Our disappointments are merely our outlook towards Allaah’s Qadr. Whereas, He does give what we truly need, when we really need. He takes away certain blessings, and this loss has a reason too, which is beyond comprehension at the time of its occurrence.

Being grateful for the blessings and being patient with the afflictions is an ultimate proof of faith. We can do this with a simple exercise when we are really feeling low. Start counting the top five blessings in your life.

Let me put down mine

1. My Eemaan - will always remain the no. 1 on this list, In sha Allaah. 
2. My parents and their Duas and support. 
3. My son. Although, emotionally he can be placed on top of everything for he rules my heart like no other, but practically his presence wouldn’t be possible without the above two. 
4. Health and well-being of my loved ones. 
5. Sincere friends and their unshakable faith in me. 

And the lisT can get endless. So, before we start complaining about what we don’t have, we should pause for a moment and look at the things we are blessed with.

Let us analyse our blessings, comparing our lives with those who are not similarly blessed.

I will do mine

• There are people who are away from the light of Eemaan and the worst thing is that their hearts are sealed. Alhamdulillaah, I am blessed. 
• There are people who have lost their parents. Alhamdulillaah, I have my parents in their old age - a means to enter Jannah by serving them. May He accept it (Ameen). 
• There are childless people in this world.  And the pain of being deprived of this blessing can’t be explained, it is only felt in their eyes. Alhamdulillaah, I have been blessed with a wonderful son whose presence is a comfort to my eyes and my heart. Alhamdulillaah, he is an opportunity to leave behind a continuing charity to last forever after I am gone. 
• There are hospitals full of sick people and there are corpses given to wailing attendants. Alhamdulillaah, I have my loved ones in good health. After a miraculous remission from cancer, my father is now able to live a life of normalcy. Although the doctors haven’t ruled out a relapse possibility which can happen anytime, his faith in Allaah is enough to rule it out forever, in sha Allaah. May Allaah protect my family and friends from all harm and bless all of us with happy, healthy lives filled with the sweetness of Eemaan (Ameen). 
• True friendship is a rare blessing. There are people deprived of it. Friends come and go like seasons. Alhamdulillaah, I am blessed to have these relations of heart, which are no less than my blood relations. 

Life does get difficult and this illusionistic world makes us believe that we are the most unfortunate ones. Afflictions are such. They break us and we forget to look at the blessings. 

Here is a wonderful gem to take lessons from when Iblees makes us feel that we are less fortunate. 

Prophet Muhammed (peace be upon him) is reported to have said, “Do not look to those above you, lest you view the favors of Allah as trivial.”

[Saheeh Muslim]

When you start losing the focus of life, just remember the above Hadith. Trust me, you will feel good :-) 

~ UmmHashiR